A BONUS DAY - What will we do???

Since there are no readings listed for today in the Chronological Bible, we thought you might like to view this short 8 minute summary (by a nine year old) of the Bible. Thanks to Vicki for sending this to us quite a while ago. There are a couple of things the little boy missed. He said that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Life. The sinned when they ate from the Tree of the  Knowledge of Good and Evil. He mentions the 400 years of silence. The only "silence" is that things were not printed on our modern Bible. There are many books written, and canonized, but do not appear in our Bible. They are the apocryphal books. Other than those things, he is right on! 

We especially like his insight at the end concerning the importance of reading the entire Bible!!! Have you heard that from us before???

Enjoy!

copy and paste this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0NVSXM9cY

Provisions are made in Scripture for the avenger of blood. The avenger of blood was the next of kin of the person who had been killed and was allowed to punish the offender, even to the point of killing the accused without being himself guilty of murder.

Reminds me of the revenge attitude of so many people today. "I don't get back, I get even." Not a very godly attitude.

Cities of refuge were to be established where a person who has accidentally killed someone could flee to and be safe. Think about all the times in Scripture that God is described as being our refuge, our safety, our shield and protector.

Jesus was very clear how He felt about a revenge kind of attitude.
Matt 5:38-39
You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Striking on the right cheek was an insult.  Since most people are right-handed, a hit would be on the left cheek of the person being hit.  Striking on the right cheek would be a back-handed kind of hit and considered an insult.  Jesus says if someone insults you, let it go.

If we have an attitude of revenge in our hearts, we are following the crowd in doing wrong like we have been warned about before. It's so much easier to follow the crowd than to stand out in a crowd. But as Believers in Jesus, we are called to be different and to stand out!

There were many restrictions concerning kings in today's reading.

Deuteronomy 17:14-17  
You will enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You will take possession of it and live there. You will say, "Let's have our own king like all the other nations around us." Be sure to appoint the king the LORD your God will choose. He must be one of your own people. Never let a foreigner be king, because he's not one of your own people. The king must never own a large number of horses  or make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The LORD has told you, "You will never go back there again." The king must never have a large number of wives, or he will turn away from God. And he must never own a lot of gold and silver.

Yet two of the greatest kings, David and Solomon had great numbers of horses, multiple wives, and great wealth.

What kind of country would we have now if our leaders obeyed the following guidelines of a king?
Deuteronomy 17:18-20
When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
It seems as if each king is to hand write these laws for himself, to keep them close at hand and to read them regularly.

There are provisions for respect for rulers. Do not "curse the ruler of your people." No matter how we may feel about a ruler, leader, or boss, we must honor the office.  A good practice would be to pray for them daily.

The two witness rule is listed in today's reading. Any sin must be testified to by at least two witnesses.
Deuteronomy 19:15
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be made sure.
Interestingly, a Jesus' "trials" there were no two witnesses who agreed on the charges brought against Jesus, which the religious leaders would have certainly know about.  And yet....

Deuteronomy 19:18-19
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 

This penalty was carried out by King Ahasuerus as it concerned Haman and Mordecai recorded in the book of Esther.

Esther 7:9-10  

Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, "Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high."  And the king said, "Hang him on that." So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated. 

What a packed verse this is, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” Exodus 23:2a

What are the ways that we as Believers in Jesus might follow the crowd in doing wrong? Sometimes following the crowd may be just to speak a careless or thoughtless or hurtful word, just as the rest of the crowd does.

Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Ouch!

Numbers 6 lists the requirements for the Nazarite vow. From Scripture we know that there were at least three important Biblical figures that have taken the Nazarite vow. They were Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. Others, such as Paul may have taken a temporary Nazarite vow.

Acts 18:18
Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

Leviticus 27:10a
Don't exchange or substitute animals, a good one for a bad one or a bad one for a good one.
Jesus was quick to demonstrate how dishonest it was to substitute sacrificial animals in the temple area for profit.
John 2:14-15
And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting. And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, also the sheep and the oxen. And He poured out the money-changers' money and overthrew the tables.

Leviticus and Deuteronomy list rules pertaining to vows of dedication.
Deuteronomy 23:21-23
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

Some have stiff punishment for not fulfilling a vow that has been made. Just ask Jephthah.
Judges 11:30-35
And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."

There is also a New Testament connection for not fulfilling a vow that has been made.  See Acts 5 for the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Lessons to be learned here???

Certain mixtures are listed in the laws of separation as forbidden.  While we may not understand why these mixtures are forbidden, it gives us an indication of how God feels about Believers. We are to be set apart as holy, pure, and different from the ways of the world.  God says. "Be holy because I, the Lord your God am holy."  That's telling us that we need to keep ourselves away from unholy living, acting, speaking, thinking, hearing, etc.

The purpose for many of the purification laws are for purely sanitary reasons and much like the dietary laws, they just make good sense.

Moses spent 40 years practicing and maintaining all the laws.  The priests would have had access all this time to Moses and Aaron if they needed clarification on any of the laws.  Praise God, we not only have the written Word of God, we have the Holy Spirit if we need clarification on anything!

Concerning the regulations for cleansing from childbirth - is this a continuation of the repercussions of the sin of Eve?  Also, in these regulations there is a difference in the time frame for boys and girls.  The woman is considered unclean for one week if she gives birth to a boy and for two weeks if she gives birth to a girl.  Also, the days until her purification are 33 days if she gives birth to a boy and 66 days if she gives birth to a girl.  Wonder why the difference?

The following verses show us another connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Leviticus 12:7-8
"'These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

Luke 2:22-24
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"),and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
The atonement offering was given by Mary for her purification after the birth of Jesus. Since they gave either two doves or two pigeons, it meant that Mary and Joseph most likely couldn’t afford a lamb.

When we read the regulations concerning uncleanness when touching a dead body during Passover, we couldn't help but think about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Because they would have been considered unclean after touching Jesus' body, they would not be allowed to celebrate Passover at the regular time.

After reading about all the rules and regulations for leprosy cleansing in Leviticus 14, it adds a whole new dimension to the story in Luke about the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. All Jesus said to them was “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” It sure involved a whole lot more than just making an appearance.

Luke 17:12-14
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

An even greater message for us is found in the last part of verse 14... "And as they went, they were cleansed." The lepers were cleansed, as they went. It truly was an ACT of faith on their part. When Jesus cleanses us from our sins, it is up to us to ACT and remove ourselves from our life of sin. Remember the Hebrew word picture for repent is "to burn the house".

God gave specifications that the blemished are not to serve or go near the curtain in the tabernacle. God is a perfectionist! At Jesus’ crucifixion the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. Jesus made a new way for us through Him. Now we have confidence to enter even the Most Holy Place, no matter how "blemished" we may seem.

Mark 15:37-38
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Hebrews 10:19-20
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

The high priest was to keep himself "clean" in order to serve in the holy place of the tabernacle. Since we as Believers are "tabernacles" for the Holy Spirit, shouldn't that make us want to remove ourselves from anything "unclean" or sinful in order to serve HIM?

Leviticus 22:1
The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings..." 
How would we do that today?  How is the money spent coming into our churches today?  Is it spent for sinful purposes? Ex. salaries for gay or lesbian pastors???  Or any pastor who would teach that homosexuality is acceptable?  Or any other teaching that degrades the truth of God? Would this be treating with respect the sacred offerings?

The commentary under Year of Jubilee - Lev. 25, we find these words, "One of the most remarkable features of the Jubilee is the concept of redemption...." The commentator mentions it is a "foretaste of even greater spiritual redemption in the era of the Messiah." Wonder if the year of Jesus' crucifixion was a year of Jubilee and/or will His return be in a Jubilee year?
Leviticus 25:10
It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
Scripture tells us that there will be a gathering of the nations into the millennium.  The descendants of Jacob will inherit their land allotments according to the first covenant made by God to Abraham. (Genesis 15:17-21) What a family reunion that will be!!!

In addition to the weekly Sabbath for rest and worship, God also commanded that there was to be a rest for the land on each seventh year. But...not to worry. He made sure that they would have enough in the sixth year to more than make up for the fallow seventh year.

Leviticus 25:21
I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.

Isn't that just like God? When we obey Him completely, he blesses us abundantly!

Again in today's reading, sins of omission or unintentional sins are mentioned. A sin is a sin whether intentional or unintentional.

Two passages of Scripture, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament, seem to have a connection. The one in Leviticus lists one of the many regulations concerning another person's property.

Leviticus 6:2-4
"If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do--when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,

Matthew 13:44
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
The passage in Matthew is a parable that Jesus told. At initial reading it appears to be a good thing that the man found a treasure hidden in a field and was so overjoyed that he sold all he had and bought the field. But if we read this passage in light of the previous one in the Old Testament, it appears as if the man who found the treasure is actually doing a bad thing. First of all the treasure wasn't his to begin with and secondly, he hid it again to keep someone else from finding it (most especially the owner of the field). Most of the parables go much deeper if we really dig.

Leviticus 24 mentions that the lamps must be burning continuously outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting.  A light is to be continuously burning.  Also, there is always to be bread.  Hmm...what spiritual connections can we make here?

God makes provisions for bringing the imperfect as offerings when it is a freewill offering. Freewill offerings are just that over and above the required offerings.

God gives Moses this beautiful blessing for the Israelites. What a great way to start the day or end the day!

Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

When instructions are given for the sin offerings, there are provisions for unintentional sins. Many times when we think of sin, we automatically think of the intentional sins, the sins of commission. However, there are consequences for sins of omission and unintentional sins. James addresses this very issue.
James 4:17
Whoever knows what is right but doesn't do it is sinning.

Many times the instructions for sacrifices were to burn such things as kidneys and parts of the liver. These two organs are there for filtering out impurities. Figuratively speaking, the sinful things in our lives at repentance are "burned away". This would be like the "aroma pleasing to the Lord". When we repent, we die to sin.

Interestingly the first animal sacrifice was done by God as a covering for Adam and Eve. Lots of connections with the animal sacrifices "covering" the sin temporarily. But praise God, Jesus covers our sins completely! But He is very clear what He expects from us. Once we repent, we turn our back on what we were before.
1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

To repent means to turn around completely and go the other way....God's way!
The word, repent, in Hebrew word pictures means, "to burn the house". In other words, burn away the sin and things connected with the sin. We are reminded of the voodoo doctor in Haiti who burned his house and  all his voodoo equipment, his livelihood, once he became a believer in Jesus. He truly understood the word repent in the simplest, but most profound form.

How is it for all of us as Believers in Jesus? When we repent, do we "burn the house" on all our sin?

In today's reading there are instructions for the sacrifices and offerings.  The details are recorded when we need to refer back to them.  Email us if you would like a chart showing the five main offerings in the Old Testament.

In the requirements for the cereal offerings is the admonition to include the salt of the covenant to the offerings.

Also listed in today's reading are instructions for the priests. One of the requirements is that the fire on the altar be kept burning continuously. Any applications for us as Believers today? Should our "fire for the Lord" be kept burning continuously?

Notice the words, “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” follow most offerings made by fire. Why?

Many times in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament we read of sacrifices and burnt offerings given to the Lord, placed on the altar in the temple or tabernacle. God Himself gave the laws regarding these sacrifices to Moses. The Israelite people offered their sacrifices as atonement for sin. It tells us that an offering, without blemish or defect, is an aroma pleasing to the Lord.  But the sacrifices could only cover the sin, not remove the sin. Jesus’ death on the cross gave humanity the opportunity to have their sins removed forever. The ultimate sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice, the most pleasing of all to the Lord…was Jesus. He willingly became our sacrifice to atone for our sins, an aroma that must have been as sweet perfume to God, the Father.  The aroma pleasing to the Lord is the symbolic destruction of sin.

Romans 12:1
"Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy  and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship."

The Bible tells us that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice. Is our sacrifice an aroma pleasing to the Lord?  Have we destroyed sin in our lives?  Do we present to him our very best?

II Corinthians 2:14-15
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ."

What a joy to be the fragrance of Christ to God! Do we diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge everywhere we go?  Have we destroyed sin in our lives?  If so, then we are living as an aroma pleasing to the Lord?

The three feasts are appointed for the people to celebrate each year; Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of weeks (Harvest or Firstfruits - later called Pentecost) and Feast of Tabernacles. Prior to Feast of Tabernacles is Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  These feast and festival days are times of celebration, remembrance, and thanksgiving.

There is a promise given to the Israelites for observing these feasts.  God promises in Exodus 34:24 to drive out the nations and enlarge their territory.  This was a specific literal promise.  What does God promise us today for our observance of these feasts?  Does He enlarge our spiritual territory?  Does He give us spiritual blessings?

Honoring the feasts and festivals was not just for the Israelites.  Numbers 9:14 has provisions for anyone who wants to celebrate these days.

All of these feast and festival days were celebrated in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.  As Believers in Jesus, we should look back on these days and remember with thanksgiving Jesus' fulfillment of the prophecies of all these feast and festival days. Hebrews 10 gives clarification concerning the parallels with Jesus.

In giving the specifications for the offerings for the three feast days and the festival days, God says, “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you”
Wow! If we really contemplated the ways that the Lord has blessed us, how would our offerings back to Him look?

There are several types of offerings listed. Gifts are variable and can be whatever the giver feels in his heart to give. The tithe is not. The tithe is the Old Testament way, a tax so to speak, of ten percent for the support and upkeep of the Levites.

In the Feast of Unleavened Bread, leaven is prohibited. Even today, many Jews remove all leaven from their homes. My Jewish friend, Miriam, has often spoken about what procedures she must go through each year during Passover.

It’s intriguing about the scapegoat, being used for the atonement for sin. Is that what we do when we blame someone else for mistakes, problems, sin in our lives? Do we transfer blame to a “scapegoat”?  Jesus is not only our sacrificial lamb, He is our scapegoat as well.

The Lord gives this promise to the Israelites if they will keep His commandments. “God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”
Complete joy…have we claimed this promise today?

Deuteronomy 8:9
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

Immediately following this verse, those detestable ways are listed specifically.  Ever wonder if God approves the use of mediums or attempting to consult the dead? Wonder no more! He says those are detestable to Him.  In fact, we are repeatedly warned against this.

There are distinct admonitions listed in Deuteronomy 13 concerning signs and wonders done by false prophets. God warns us that these miraculous signs and wonders are done in order to entice us to follow other gods.  In fact, God says that if we listen to these false prophets and dreamers, we are being tested to see if we love God with all our heart and soul.

Deuteronomy 18:15-19 tells of a true prophet. Many think this passage refers to Jesus. Could it be that God is simply telling them that there will always be a "go-between" - a prophet who speaks for Him? And that the people should listen?  It is easy to compare this true prophet to John the Baptist.  John was a prophet like Moses (from the line of Levi) and certainly spoke words from God.

In the laws requiring offerings and sacrifices God gives the Israelites specific instructions. He says time, after time, after time that He wants the firstborn, the first offspring, the best, the firstfruits, etc. God doesn't want the leftovers! What exactly does that mean for us?

Several times we read that the people were to do certain things, "at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name."  The place where God put His Name is Israel, specifically Jerusalem, Mt. Zion.  This is the place where Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac, the threshing floor of David, and where Solomon built the temple, known today as Temple Mount.

There were specific instructions for the triennial.  At the end of every three years, special tithes were given for the aliens, fatherless, and the widows in their towns.  This is a great example of giving to people today as we see the need, not just giving to an established church.  The results of this obedience?  so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 14:29

The tithe to the Levites was really a tax from the other tribes. The tithe was ten percent off the top. Gifts and offerings were above that. They are not taxes but are free will gifts to be given from the heart as the Lord has blessed.  Tithes and offerings are not the same.

A special instruction for the Israelites when settling in the land was to regard the fruit of any fruit trees as forbidden for the first three years after the planting.  Most gardeners teach that one should not eat the fruit from the fruit trees in their earliest years.  In fact some would say to pluck off the blossoms in order for the trees to thrive better and bear more abundantly afterward. The word forbidden is from the Hebrew word ‛ârêl and means uncircumcised. The fruit for the first three years was to be regarded as having not yet been consecrated to the Lord or as unclean.

When God commanded a Sabbath day of rest, He compared our rest to His rest on the seventh day after creation.  There is much speculation as to what day is the Sabbath.  Some say Saturday.  Some say Sunday.  But did God name the days of the week?  Just when did He start counting?  Do we know which day of the week is the seventh day? How can we know?"

Romans 14:5-6a
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. 

Leviticus 19:30
Observe (hedge, guard, protect) my Sabbaths and have reverence (respect and honor) for my sanctuary (God's holiness).  I am the Lord.
When God says to hedge, guard and protect His Sabbaths, He wasn't just referring to the weekly Sabbath.  He was also referring to all the Sabbath days, including the commanded Holy Days (Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Tabernacles).

Concerning the Sabbath day of rest, the seventh day, did God need to rest? Was He tired? Hardly!
Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

At the end of the creating on each "day" we find these words, "and there was evening and morning.." But at the end of the seventh day, those words are significantly absent.  We are still living the seventh day.  God's seventh day of rest is the carrying out of the plan of salvation and redemption. What God did on the seventh day was to look back on all He had accomplished and decided it was good! We are still enjoying the fruits of God's labor.  Is that how He wants us to spend our Sabbath day, looking back on everything that we have done, said, seen, heard, etc. during the previous week?

What can we say about our week? Can we look back and say that it was good?

As we begin reading about the laws given to Moses, we may be tempted to skip over them, thinking that they have no relevance to us today. If so, think again and read the following verse.

Romans 7:7a
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.

"Only after struggling through the tedious process of reading and trying to understand these laws does one fully comprehend the bondage of the law of Moses and appreciate the blessings of grace."

Deuteronomy 16:21
Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God...
We cannot "baptize" the pagan and claim it for God.

Mark 7:7
However, they worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." 

The people are warned about giving their children to Molech.  This is another way of saying that the pagans were sacrificing their children to the god Molech.  God ordered a strict penalty for those who sacrificed their children.  That same warning applies to us today.  Do people in effect sacrifice their children when abortions are performed?

Deuteronomy 14:2
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
Take some time to let this verse sink in. When we choose Jesus as personal Lord and Savior we become His treasured possession. How would our lives look if we lived our lives daily as if we are His treasured possession?

The Biblical "two-witness" rule is commanded.  The punishment for idolatry is death, but only on the testimony of two or three witnesses and then, the witnesses are the ones to be first in putting the offender to death.

God tells the people when they go into the land  "destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods.  Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire, cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places."

In other words, they were to destroy any remnant of any worship of other gods.  God continually warns the people about the dangers of worshiping other gods and the life style associated with it.

Deuteronomy 12:31
Do not worship the LORD your God in the way they worship their gods, for in the worship of their gods they do all the disgusting things that the LORD hates.

God says, "Don't worship me in their way."  We are told that even if a family member or our closest friend secretly entices us to move away from worship of God, we are not to yield or even listen.

Deuteronomy 12:9
since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you.
What is our resting place? What is our inheritance? Many times in Scripture, rest is synonymous with salvation and eternal life. Our resting place is in heaven. Our inheritance is our eternal life.

The Israelites were promised an inheritance, rest from their enemies, and a life of safety.  These promises however were contingent on destroying all the pagan influences.

The people are told they will be going to a specific place for their burnt offerings and sacrifices.  "Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please."

There are several references in Deuteronomy 12 to slaughtering their animals and eating the meat.  It seems as if God is now giving them permission to eat the animals.  This leads one to believe that they were not allowed to eat the meat of the animals while they were wandering in the wilderness.  Could this be why they were craving meat early on and why God gave them the quail?

God continually reminds us through His Word that there are rewards for obedience, "because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God".

A suggestion for today - live Deuteronomy 14:2! For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
Put the verse on your mirror, on your refrigerator, on the wall of your cubby at work, on your desk, on the dashboard of your car, etc. We think your day will go a lot better if you do!!!

Ouch!  Some powerfully stinging words in today's reading!  God reminds the people that He will go before them and subdue their enemies in the land.  But...He also reminds them that He is doing this NOT because of their righteousness or integrity. Great lesson for us as well.

The people are reminded of their past sins and rebellions against God and the consequences of those sins of disobedience.

Another reminder: Moses stayed on the mountain with God for 40 days and 40 nights. He ate no food and drank no water. Not once, but this visit to the mountain for 40 days and nights without food and drink was done twice!  Normally an average person can survive only 30 days without food and ten days without water. What confirmation of how God can miraculously take care of the physical needs. Should we even think about doubting that He can take care of us?

Listed in the reading today is a Summary of God's Will:
1. Fear the Lord
2. Walk in His ways
3. Love Him
4. Serve Him
5. Observe His commands

We are told that these commands that we are to observe, this summary of God's will are for our own good.

Deuteronomy 11 reminds us that His blessings upon us are contingent.  We must faithfully obey the commands.  The only command listed here is "to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul".  And then the blessings will come.  God promised to send rain so that they would enjoy abundant harvests.  However the Lord's anger will burn against them if they turn away from Him and worship other gods.  We need only look around at our world today and see that there is a famine in the land - a famine of hearing God's truth.

Again God gives this admonition. It is such an easy thing to do, just teach the children... and look at the promise at the end if we do!
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Another reminder: God told the Israelites that He would give them every place they set their foot.
Deuteronomy 11:24-25
Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The LORD your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
This area is much larger than the area of Israel today. God promised them that He would give them all the land where they would set their foot. Way back to Abraham, God told him to walk the land and He would give him every place he set his foot. The land that He offered Abraham is larger than the land promised to the Israelites in the reading for today in Deuteronomy, because Abraham did not walk the entire land that God promised him. God makes the same offer again, of walking the land, but with a smaller territory.

Interestingly, the boundaries of the present day Israel are the boundaries of the battle of Armageddon.  For more information, click on this link and read Link 3. It shows where the final battle will take place.
https://sites.google.com/a/philandpatti.com/www02/mapsfortheselastdays

Again the people are given a warning against worshiping other gods in the land.  These words are not just for those people 3,500 years ago.  They are equally applicable today.  Do we worship other gods? What form do these gods take? Anything that replaces God in our lives is an idol. That can take many forms.

God sets before us blessing and curse, life and death...that we may choose life!

Oh, today’s readings are so rich! (Deuteronomy 3-8) Where to begin?

The commentary on today's reading says that the purpose of the law was to bring the people into a proper relationship with God and to regulate their conduct. The law was the instrument for measuring.  It was through the law that the people could have a relationship with God and the law measured their conduct.  Today we have Jesus as our instrument for measuring.  It is through Jesus that we can have a close personal relationship.  Jesus is our role model on how to behave.  Jesus is now our righteousness.

Deuteronomy 6:25

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.

Moses reminds the people that when God SPOKE the Ten Commandments to them, He added nothing more. If only they had listened to God then, and gone in to the land that He promised them, there would have been no need to add all the other regulations, commandments, stipulations, decrees, laws, etc. They would not have even had to build the tabernacle. They could have just gone into the land, straight to Jerusalem and built the temple. God even says to them that if they will keep his commandments, believe Him, trust Him, obey Him, follow Him, make no treaty with the inhabitants, destroy their idols, then they would be blessed that they would prosper, prolong their days, that things would go well with them and their children FOREVER! .....HELLO???

Their first big mistake was when God told them way back in Exodus 19 to listen to Him (God) speak to Moses so that they would put their trust in Moses. But did they listen? Of course not, they were afraid they would die if God Himself spoke to them. If they had heard God speak to Moses, maybe there wouldn't have been all those complaints against Moses.

Commandments concerning children were very specific. We are to talk about the commandments when we sit, when we walk, when we lie down, and when we get up. In other words, we should take advantage of every opportunity to talk to our children about Him. If only we could live out His commands concerning the children. How different would our culture and our world look?

God was very clear about destroying the pagan altars, sacred stones, Asherah poles and idols of the nations. God warns that His people are not to serve other gods.  Do we do that today?  He said He would throw the people into confusion.  There is great confusion today concerning God's Word and His Holy Days. God set His people apart from the pagans and called them to be holy.  Satan still tries to confuse God's people as he did with Eve in the garden when he said, "Did God really say..." (Genesis 3:1-5).  Satan's message is still the same because it is so effective....just create doubt and confusion. 

“Holy to the Lord” What a great phrase! The Lord chose us (believers in Jesus) to be His treasured possession.

There are some very specific blessings listed in Deuteronomy 7 for obedience.  God promises "You will be blessed more than any other people", among the many other blessings that are listed.

Moses reminds the people that they spent time in the desert to be humbled and tested and disciplined.

We are warned to beware of pride. We may be tempted to say...My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. Deuteronomy 8:17b  

Pride – what a debilitating attribute! Often we forget to thank Him when things are going well but are quick to turn to Him in times of trouble.

Deuteronomy 8:18a  
But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you ability to produce wealth, 

Did we say today’s readings are rich???

Moses addresses the people in preparation for the transfer of leadership. He knows that his life is near the end. He is keenly aware that his sins have kept him from entering the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. And yet in many of his statements, he seems to be transferring the blame away from himself and on the people. He repeatedly says, "because of you...".  He seems to have forgotten the "striking of the rock" incident. In fact many of Moses' words seem to be in contradiction to what is recorded earlier. Check out Deuteronomy 1:19-25 and compare with Numbers 13.

In his first address, Moses mentions that when they camped at Horeb they were only 11 days out from the Promised Land, and yet it took them 40 years, because of their disobedience and lack of trust. The words of the old hymn Trust and Obey come to mind once again.

After reading about all the battles, carnage, destruction, and death, it is painful to remember that none of this had to happen if they had only trusted God and obeyed Him concerning the taking of the land.  God was going to drive out the inhabitants of the land, not kill them.

Moses gives the people a history of their nation, their relationship with God and their purpose in the conquest of the land. God's plan was for the people to take the land regardless of what they found there.  These people are the descendants of the original group.  They were either young children when they left or were born during the 40 years. All those who were 20 years of age or older are now dead, except for Moses himself and Joshua and Caleb.

There is an extremely important verse hidden away in today's reading.  It explains a reason for prayer.
Deuteronomy 4:7
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?
Reason to pray?  It brings the Lord near us!  The Hebrew word for "near" is "qârôb".  The definitions for that word are "near - of place, of time, of kinship, of personal relationship".  So when we pray, God comes to us where we are, at the time we pray, in a closer personal relationship with Him.  Wow!

Moses reminded the people to obey God's laws, to teach them to their children, to stay away from idols. He tells them not to add to his commands or subtract from them. Good advice for us today too!

God reminds the people that idolatry is the same thing as adultery. Remember our relationship with God  is like that of a marriage. When we worship anything over and above God we are committing spiritual adultery.

“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Moses asks the Lord for a successor, someone to lead the people so that they would not be like sheep without a shepherd. Even though he must have greatly desired Joshua to be that man, yet he doesn’t ask for him. He leaves it in the Lord’s hand. And look what happened, God gave him Joshua!

There is an interesting verse - Numbers 27:16 May the Lord, the God of all the spirits of all mankind...
God is God of all people, whether or not they believe.  God is God, no matter what!

The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh ask for land on the east side of the Jordan River.  Moses was at first reluctant to allow this.  He was afraid that God would punish them again as He did when the spies were fearful of going into the land 40 years earlier.  To their credit these two-and-a half tribes offer to help the other tribes fight for their land before taking possession of the land east of the river.  Moses warns them that they will suffer the consequences if they fail to honor this offer.

The Israelites were told to drive out the inhabitants of the land, destroy their idols, and demolish their high places. If not, these inhabitants would become barbs in their eyes and thorns in their sides. What an understatement! If only the Israelites had obeyed God completely. These idols and high places will be a source of great disobedience on the part of God's people.  If the Israelites had obeyed God at the beginning of their journey from Egypt, some 40 years earlier, they would not have had to fight for the land.  God had promised that He would drive out the inhabitants.

There is also a modern-day application to these verses in Numbers 33:50-56.  What happens to a nation where carved images, cast idols, and high places (pagan influences, other "gods", etc) are allowed into the country?  When Islam is given equal credibility to Christianity, when Allah and God are declared to be the same, what are the consequences?  All we need to do is to read the history of the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah to see how God deals with that issue.

The boundaries that are listed in the readings for today from Numbers 33-34 are the boundaries of the land that Abraham walked.  Remember, the boundaries that God promised Abraham were much larger. (Genesis 15:17-21).  All Abraham had to do was to walk and claim the land.  So, Abraham and his descendants were given the land that Abraham actually walked, much smaller than what God originally promised.  This is just one example of the consequences of disobedience.

The people are reminded of what the Amalekites did to them along the way. They attacked those who were weary and worn out or who were lagging behind. Great lesson for us. When we are at our weakest, we are easy prey for the enemy. But equally important, when we are at our strongest, we are also easy prey. Whenever we are doing something big for the kingdom, we get Satan's attention and he tries to "cut us off".

In the plans for the cities for the Levites, it seems as if God is placing a “pocket” of Levites to essentially surround each of the towns. Maybe to be a buffer for them spiritually?

Has God placed any of us as a spiritual buffer for others?

After the plague when 25,000 Israelites died, God ordered another census of the people. This head count was to certify that all those original men did not survive the forty years. Notice that in the second numbering God adds an inheritance for the tribes. Earlier when the tribes were to bring offerings to the Lord, the offerings were the same no matter how small or large the tribe was. This time the land is allotted to them based on the number of names.

In the land inheritance, Joseph is left out, his sons Ephraim and Manasseh are in, Levites are left out in the land allotment as well. They would be supported by the tithes of the people.

The total number of fighting men now totals 601,730.  After 40 years, they didn't really increase in number of fighting men.  They started with 600,000 when they left Egypt. (Exodus 12:37)

Interesting that in the numbering of the Levites it makes it clear that both Moses’ parents were from the tribe of Levi.

Numbers 26:63-65
These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Because of their disobedience, not one of the original adults who left Egypt went into the land, except Caleb and Joshua. They were the only two who trusted God to lead them into Canaan.  However, they had to wander in the desert and experience the consequences of the collective sinful behavior of the Israelites - but they were rewarded in the end.

Can we as Believers in Jesus trust the Lord, even in the face of great adversity? Even when no one else trusts Him?  Even if we have to wander in the "desert"?  Just as Joshua and Caleb were rewarded, we will be greatly rewarded as well!

In Numbers 25 it is very clear that the leaders of the people were held to account and were punished for the sins committed in Moab.  God had warned the people repeatedly to stay away from the pagan practices of the nations around them. The sins of Israel in Moab started with sexual immorality and led to the worship of other gods. The Israelites allowed the ways of other nations to corrupt them and pull them away from God. Do we as Believers in Jesus allow things and the ways of the world to corrupt us and pull us away from God?

Many of the Israelite men were seduced into idolatry by the Moabite women. It seems as if the Israelite man, Zimri was flaunting the Midianite woman in the presence of Moses and the assembly.  While Phinehas' actions of killing the man and the woman seem harsh to us, he was zealous for God's honor and illustrates the power of ONE. He was rewarded for that. Just an example of rewards to those who wage war against sin. This family will remain as priests. Not only will they remain as priests, but they will be most significant priests.  Zadok and Ezra are descendants of Phinehas. (Ezra 7:1-5)

God’s consequences for this behavior of being seduced into idolatry and flaunting it (as in the case of Zimri) were most severe. Does that tell us something about how much God wants His people to obey Him completely?

I John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

To show our love for God is to obey His commands. He's told us, it's not that hard!

The people of Moab obviously were in fear of the Israelites. They saw the immense number of their fighting men and what they had done to the Amorites. It is for this reason, Balak wanted them cursed.  Apparently the sorcerer Balaam was well-known for his ability to curse and bless people and nations. His fame had spread far and wide.  Other historical writings relate that Moab had been defeated by the Ammonites earlier because Balaam and his father cursed the Moabites. Balak sent messengers to bring Balaam back to Moab.  This was no quick and easy journey.  Balaam lived at Pethor near the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia.  The exact location of Pethor is unknown but the journey from Moab to the closest point of the Euphrates River is about 500 miles.  The men who made this journey were high-ranking men and would have traveled most likely on horseback with an entourage.

Since Balaam was a sorcerer, he was not a man of God.  The evil spirit in him knew that he had to ask permission from God to do anything.  (see 1 Kings 20:18-23) Balaam informed the messengers that God refused to give permission to curse the Israelites and so the messengers returned to Balak with that answer.  This news was not received well and so Balak sent other messengers, more numerous and distinguished than the first ones.  The first group came to Balaam with a divination fee for him.  The second group came to Balaam with an offer of a handsome reward.  Even though Balaam had been given a direct answer from God the first time, it seems as if he was swayed with the offer of the reward and so he went to God the second time.  This time God gave Balaam permission to go but he was to do only as God directed.

The angel of the Lord who appeared to Balaam was another warning for Balaam to speak only words as directed by God.

Since Balaam, a sorcerer who through his own "art" of interpreting the cries and movements of animals or inanimate objects was given a most startling warning from God via the talking donkey.

In today's reading it is illustrated very well that there is a spiritual dimension that we can't see. Obviously, this donkey was allowed to see the angel of the Lord in this spiritual dimension. Not only was the donkey allowed to see the angel of the Lord, but was given the gift of speech.

Why couldn’t Balaam see the angel of the Lord? Were it because he was not a believer or were his spiritual eyes closed? Notice that it is God who opens Balaam's eyes.

When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him, going a distance of roughly 100 miles.

Balaam utters three oracles An oracle is a divine utterance usually in answer to a request for guidance.  Balak had asked that Balaam curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blesses them.  In one of the blessings, he says these words concerning Israel, "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"  (same words that God told Abraham) Such prophetic words!  Applicable today for America???

Interesting that Peter compared Balaam with false teachers who love the wages of wickedness.
2 Peter 2:15-16
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey-- a beast without speech-- who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

Any connections we can make today with false teachers and spiritual as well as political leaders?

Moses' sister Miriam dies and they bury her at Kadesh. Wonder why there was no time of mourning recorded for her.

The people complain again.  This time they complain that there is no grain or figs, grapes, or pomegranates to eat.  And they complain of no water.  Moses and Aaron intercede for the people.

Notice that God does not provide for them the fruit they were missing, but only the water, something that is necessary for them to live.  He doesn't provide the luxury foods.  After all, they were given manna on a daily basis - all the food nourishment they needed.

Moses is told to speak to the rock and instead he strikes the rock. Previously, Moses was told to strike the rock. (Exodus 17:1-7).  This time, God tells Moses to take the staff with him and go to the rock. Did Moses just assume that God was going to tell him to strike the rock again as He did before?  Is this an object lesson for us today?  Is God telling us to pay very careful attention to Him?  Is He saying, read and study Scripture carefully lest you make mistakes?  

After striking the rock, Moses takes credit for the water gushing forth. This sin of disobedience and pride has grave consequences. Moses is not allowed to lead the people into the land. Are there grave consequences for us when we are disobedient and prideful?

Even though it was Moses who struck the rock, Aaron was silent. Aaron also was silent when his sons offered unauthorized fire and were struck dead. When Moses said, "Shall WE bring forth water..", Aaron didn't protest. By his silence, he was in effect giving approval to Moses' claim.  Moses, instead of speaking to the rock, struck the rock.  What Moses did was wrong. When we witness things that are wrong, do we as Believers in effect give our approval by our silence?

Were the people supposed to ask for safe passage through the land of Edom? Or were they to trust the pillar and cloud?  They were told to go only where the pillar and cloud went.  This was a visible reminder of their command.  We may ask ourselves why they could not trust this visible reminder that was constantly with them.  But we must ask ourselves why we at times are unable to trust Him.  He is with us constantly in the form of the Holy Spirit, something the children of Israel did not have at that time dwelling within,  Being indwelt with the Holy Spirit is so much better that the visual reminder of the pillar and cloud.

2 Corinthians 5:7  

for we walk by faith, not by sight;

When Aaron died, the whole house of Israel mourned for him for thirty days. Why did they not mourn for Miriam?  This question took us on a very eventful journey into the writings of several Jewish rabbis. It seems as if they believe that Miriam was the provider of water for the whole community since the people began to grumble about water right after Miriam's death.  Some rabbis claim that Miriam was The Well (the provider of water).  Hmmm...  Scripture says that the whole Israelite community moved into the Desert of Zin and camped at Kadesh and there Miriam died. Seems as if the water ran out because they were in the desert!  Not that Miriam was The Well!   (Exodus 15:22-25, Exodus 17:1-7) Nowhere in Scripture does it say anywhere that Miriam was instrumental in providing water.  God (the living water) always provided the water.

1 Corinthians 10:4

and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

The Canaanite city of Arad is mentioned in today's reading. As a present day connection, we read about a Messianic Jewish community there who are being harassed because they are Jews who believe in Jesus. Pray for them.  This statement was in last year's study.  Very little has changed in 2016.  They are still being harassed as are many other Messianic Jews in Israel.

True to their nature, the people again become impatient and complain and so God sends venomous snakes. Many people die. Then, also true to their nature, they confess their sins and ask Moses to intervene for them.  Moses asks God to take away the snakes. Also, true to His nature, God stops the snakes and provides a way for them to be saved. The snake (made from bronze - a symbol of punishment) that Moses lifted up saved the people from physical death. Jesus saves us from spiritual, eternal death.  He saves us from our eternal punishment.

John 3:14-15

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

In Numbers 21:14 the Book of the Wars of the Lord is quoted.  And again in verse 27, a reference is made to the poets. The Bible refers numerous times to other writings.

In Moses' detailed journal of the exodus from Egypt, there are 41 places where they camped. Some of those times they stayed a considerable amount of time, other times they were there only a short time.Wonder why? Have anything to do with disobedience?

Today's reading contains details of battles.  We must remember that God promised the Israelites that He (God) would run the people out of the land.  It is because of their disobedience that they must do battle with the people who are living there.  Just another example of the consequences of disobedience.

Moses' leadership is challenged by Korah and his followers.  It seems that they were jealous of Moses and Aaron.  The duties of the Kohathites are specifically listed, along with a caution listed in Numbers 4:17-20.  The Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things even for a moment or they will die.   And apparently Korah didn’t understand the “burning bush incident”! Moses and Aaron were God’s anointed. They didn't need to be replaced. And did they not remember what happened to Miriam when she and Aaron challenged Moses' leadership?

Jude gives us a reminder about Korah's rebellion.

Jude 1:10-11
Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do  (they go after the carnal - to satisfy the moment) understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-- these are the very things that destroy them. Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.

God gives instructions to Eleazar to collect the bronze censers brought by the 250 followers of Korah and to make them into an overlay for the altar as a reminder of what happened in Korah's rebellion. Bronze often times in Scripture is used to symbolize punishment. The bronze altar is where the sin offerings were given. (Leviticus 4)

When the people again long to go back to Egypt, they call it a land flowing with milk and honey. Did they want to go back to bondage?

God institutes the command to redeem the firstborn. The people are redeemed by paying a temple price. The holy animals are sacrificed. See any connections with Jesus here???

Notice that the Levites receive a tithe, a tenth from all the other tribes. This is a commanded tax. The Levites are then to give a tenth to Aaron. This is their tax. Part of the tithe that Aaron and his descendants are to receive is juice from a winepress, not wine itself. Remember, Aaron and his sons were not to consume fermented drink while serving at the tabernacle. Wow, God takes care of even the most minute details!

When God does things, He certainly does it up right. There's that staff again! Are you paying attention to all these references to the all-important staff. Wouldn’t it have been enough to just have Aaron’s staff sprout? That was all He promised them to prove Aaron was His chosen one. And yet, He caused the staff to bud, to  blossom, and to produce almonds! And overnight even!
Now, let’s see…what was that Scripture about God being able to do more than we ask for…oh yes, here it is.

Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Remember, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is the same power that lives within each Believer.  Tapped into His power lately???

Miriam and Aaron begin to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife.  Could it be because his wife was from the line of Noah's son Ham? (Genesis 10:6).  Many Cushites settled in Ethiopia, Northern Africa, and in Iraq and Arabia. There are many details concerning this period of time that we just don't know much about.  It does seem that in addition to Moses' marriage to a Cushite, they were a bit jealous  of Moses.  God strikes Miriam with leprosy.  Why wasn't Aaron punished as Miriam was? Since God sees what's in the heart could it be that Aaron's heart was not set in jealousy against Moses but Miriam's heart was?

Great words of affirmation for Moses in today's reading!
Numbers 12:5-8a
Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.

WOW! The Lord speaks to Moses "face to face"!

While there were some great words of affirmation for Moses, there is also some that might be considered disturbing ones.
Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek (NIV says humble), more than all the men on the face of the earth.)
While at first glance, this sounds like a good thing. However, the Hebrew word for meek is "anav" and it figuratively means "depressed". Shortly before this, Moses was complaining that the burden of the people was just too heavy for him. He even said to the Lord, "If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now..." Sounds like a depressed person. Is this why he needed help from the 70 elders?

There are several Hebrew words that are translated into English as humble or meek. One of those is the Hebrew word "kana" which means "to prostrate oneself in submission, to bow the knee." This is not the one used in today's reading to describe Moses.

There are a couple of other things to consider concerning the spies sent into the land of Canaan. God said in Numbers 13:2 Send men so that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the sons of Israel.
The key word here is "search". God told them to search the land. The word means "to go on a reconnaissance mission." They were to only go in and look around in the land. God wanted them to see the lush riches of the land that He was providing for them. (We can see evidence of this lushness in the size of the grapes they found.) Instead, Moses told them to go in and spy out the land and the people. God didn't tell them to pay any attention to the people. They were to stop at the grapes and report this back to the Israelites, not about the giant people in the land, nor their large fortified cities. And, about the land where there were no inhabitants? The spies, with their Egyptian superstitious pagan mindset, reported back that "the land we explored devours those living in it." The land hadn't devoured those living in it...God had already driven them out! He told them He would send hornets to drive them out. Amazing how God uses nature (like the hornets) to accomplish His purposes!

The people were to go only into the part of the land where the people had already been driven out by the hornets, and then wait until God gave them instructions to advance further. Then He would use the hornets to  drive out even more people. Notice that the people living in the land were not to be destroyed. They were just to turn and run from the hornets. But the Israelites having come out of Egypt, a land of godlessness and superstition, perceived that the land had devoured the people and they were afraid of the empty land. If only they had trusted and obeyed, God would have created a regular "Garden of Eden" for them, as illustrated by the grapes. By the way, in just a few short months in their second year they have already moved four times. (We know this because of the season of ripe grapes,)

The leaders who were sent in to explore the land certainly displayed their lack of trust in God to keep His promises…all of the leaders except for Joshua and Caleb. They were doing what God wanted them to do, focus on the land that He had promised to give them. Oh, that we could all live our lives trusting the Lord to keep His promises!

Psalm 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

A land flowing with milk and honey is a land of crops and animals. The land is divided up into the milk land where animals are raised (goats, sheep, cattle) and the honey land is where the crops are raised (dates, figs, etc.) The Nephilim were giants, men of unnatural size or ability.

When the whole assembly talks about stoning Joshua and Caleb, God's anger is aroused and He tells Moses that He will strike them with a plague.  And again God offers to make Moses into a nation greater and stronger.  Moses once again pleads with God for mercy for the people.

When the people saw that the leaders of the 10 tribes were struck down and died (did they contract a "bug" of some kind), they sure were quick to obey God then…but alas it was too late. God had been willing to take care of their enemies for them, but once they displayed lack of trust, God was not with them. And isn't it amazing that God promised to do that for them way back in Exodus 23, right after He SPOKE the Ten Commandments to them.

Exodus 23:27-28
"I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

Did they forget??? Or did they just not trust God???

Once the people are numbered and duties assigned, the Israelites are ready to move. Many times ram’s horns were used for signaling - but God had them make trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community together.

Remember, God had promised this land to the Israelites - a promise made to Abraham (Genesis 15:18).  God also told them that they would not have to fight for the land (if they obeyed Him). (Exodus 23:28) And yet, He gives them instructions about sounding the trumpet when going into battle.  By giving them these instructions God was warning them ahead of time that they would be disobedient and would have to fight their enemies for their OWN land.

The Israelites are given the command, via the movement of the cloud, to move in the twentieth of the month.  Isn't it fascinating that God allowed time for those who needed to celebrate the Passover a month later to have plenty of time to do that?

For some reason, Moses felt the need to have his brother-in-law Hobab help guide them through the desert. Why did Moses need Hobab if he had the cloud for guidance?  Big mistake!  Notice right after that the cloud moved sporadically and the people had to break camp and follow. Could it be that God was teaching Moses a lesson?  There are many repetitions concerning the movement of the camp. Everyone had specific duties to perform, so most likely the taking down and setting up was done quickly. Sometimes they camped only a few days and sometimes they camped for a month or even a year or more.  It is clear from the reading today that the people obeyed (as far as moving was concerned), even when it may not have made sense to them.  Was God teaching them obedience?

The rabble ( a mixed crowd of Egyptians and others) that traveled with them began to crave other food. And then the Israelites begin to grumble and complain...again. This time they want meat. God answers in essence with "You want meat do you? I'll give you meat! I'll give you so much meat that it will come out of your nostrils!"

What was the severe plague that struck them because of the consumption of the quail?  Was it because they Could it have been food poisoning from spoiled food?  Was this salmonella?  The great lesson to learn from this is that we need to be careful what we crave.

Moses continues to display a lack of faith when he questions God about all his trouble when the people wailed and complained. Moses complains that the burden is too heavy for him. God answers by telling Moses that He will give the seventy elders as helpers for him. God will take of the Spirit in Moses and give it to the elders.

These 70 elders had the Spirit and they prophesied.  They spoke by inspiration of the Spirit.  We wonder how the commentator arrived at his statement that they prophesied "apparently in ecstatic utterances".  There is no Scriptural evidence of this - only that they prophesied.

Numbers 11:25b
When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.

This giving of the Spirit was a temporary empowerment for a specific purpose. Contrast that with the Holy Spirit that lives within us. For us as Believers, the Holy Spirit is not a temporary empowerment but a permanent one.

Moses had the presence of the Lord in the cloud for guidance. We have God's Word for guidance. Why would we as Believers want to go to other sources for our guidance?

In the numbering of the Levites, the males a month old or more were counted.  Not so with the other tribes.

Did you ever wonder why God warned the people about touching the holy things in the tabernacle? The warning came with a stiff penalty for not honoring God’s warning. Did God ever have to follow through with that penalty? Check this out.
1 Chronicles 13:9-10
When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled.(The ark was not supposed to be carried by oxen) The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

The descendants of Levi are given specific duties. Aaron and his sons were given huge supervisory responsibilities over the Levites. All together there were 8,580 men 30 – 50 years of age who were responsible for the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle). So whenever the pillar of fire or the cloud would move giving the people the signal to move, there were quite a few men taking care of all the moving. Someone was in charge of something as seemingly insignificant as the tent pegs. There is a great lesson to be learned from this division of duties. No matter how insignificant our God-given task may seem to us, it is important to God. And it is important in the grand scheme of things. After all, what would happen without tent pegs?

By the way, the overall size of the tabernacle was 150 feet by 75 feet, about half the size of a football field.

Fascinating tidbit of information…in the Millennial Kingdom, the cloud and pillar will once again return.
Isaiah 4:5
Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy.

Uzzah suffered a penalty for not obeying God completely. How is it with us as Believers, do we always obey God completely?  There are consequences for disobedience and blessings for obedience.

A year has passed since the exodus from Egypt.  As they prepare to observe the first Passover celebration since their exodus from Egypt, a problem surfaces. Some of the Israelites were ceremonially unclean because of their contact with a dead body and could not celebrate the Passover. Because they were unsure of what to do in light of the regulation restrictions, they went to Moses with their confusion. Moses did the right thing by taking it to the Lord.  When we are unsure or confused about something, is our first thought to take it to the Lord?

The celebration of the Passover is extremely important.  It was important to the children of Israel and it is just as important today (or maybe even more important).  To understand just how important it is for Believers in Jesus, check out the website (www.philandpatti.com) writing for The Biblical View of Holy Week.

There is a line in the commentary on page 158, "God has told the Israelites that they will have to fight for the land."  In reality, God told them that if they were obedient to Him, He would drive out the inhabitants from the land.  It was because of their disobedience that there would be a need for them to do their own fighting for the land.

The Lord orders a numbering or a census of the sons of Israel from age 20 years or older. This was a daunting task. During this census, the people are still encamped at Sinai. Again we would caution you to not become discouraged in the reading of the miniscule details.

Again in the numbering of the tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh represent the tribe of Joseph. Then the tribes are given their placement to camp and the order for marching whenever they are given the word to move. The tribe of Judah always leads. Dan always comes last.

The families of the tribe of Levi are not counted along with the others. Interestingly, the Levites were the ones to do the fighting at the "golden calf" incident.  Now, they are the tribe that will do no fighting. It is clear that this tribe is set apart. Even their tents are set up in a circle around the tabernacle so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community.They guard the tabernacle. No one gets in without going through the Levites. And we continue to see how "set apart" this tribe actually is. Just as God instructed Moses to purify and consecrate the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and as He ordered the sanctification of the Levites, He also sanctifies us.

Jude 1:1
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the ones called in God the Father, having been set apart, and having been kept by Jesus Christ: 

We as Believers have been "set apart". Do we act as if we are???

Great emphasis is placed on the anointing and consecration of the temple and all its furnishings.  And notice how God provided for the Levites in completing their mundane tasks, instilling in the hearts of the people to furnish carts in which to carry the necessary materials for carrying out the work of the tabernacle.

Try not to get too bogged down in the readings for today. Take note of the specifics of the offerings. All these offerings were to be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting. These offerings will be of great significance later on.  Remember they had carried all these items from Egypt.

Notice that the offerings of the 12 tribes are the same, no matter how small or how large the tribe. Also notice that there are 12 tribes even though the tribe of Levi is not counted. Joseph's name is left out and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh are in.

The Levites become the kinsmen redeemers for the first born male. Moses was also told to purify the Levites and to present them as a wave offering. The Levites themselves were to be a wave offering before the Lord. Their services were also given as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tabernacle. We find out a little later just how much work they had to do!

Now, God is speaking to Moses from between the two cherubim above the ark of the covenant. (Numbers 7:89)

Aaron was told to set up the seven lamps that had been made according to the pattern God had given Moses on the mountain.
Numbers 8:2-4
"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'"Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold-- from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.
Seven lamps are prominent elsewhere in Scripture as well.
Revelation 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

Everything was done by Moses just as the Lord commanded. So far…so good. Stay tuned!

Chapters 8 through 10 in the book of Leviticus cover the consecration of Aaron and his sons. As you read, pay close attention to the words ordination, eat, clean, and unclean.

Once again, Moses is obedient to the Lord when it comes to the special offerings and sacrifices during the week of the dedication of the tabernacle. Blood represented the innocent life of the animal that was sacrificed  in place of the guilty person. God granted forgiveness of the sinner based on the faith of the person doing the sacrifice - a foreshadowing of the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins.  The Old Testament sacrifices only covered the sin temporarily.  Jesus' death on the cross removed even the guilt of sin.
Hebrews 9:11-14
But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building   nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ (who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God) purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

This "pleasing aroma" of the sacrifice was a way of saying that God accepted the sacrifice because of the people's attitude.  This reminds us of the pleasing aroma of our prayers as they ascend before God.
Revelation 8:4
And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God from the angel's hand.

Aaron’s sons died because they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.  It seems as if they dishonored the Lord.  Was their attitude not what it should have been?
Leviticus 10:3b
And Aaron remained silent.
Why?  Had he too dishonored the Lord?  Did he not speak out against his sons?

Do people today in positions of authority and leadership in effect offer “unauthorized fire” to the Lord? Do they do this in the form of unbiblical observances and teachings? Just a thought…

Jeremiah 2:13
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
A spring is moving water, clear, pure, and fresh - living water so to speak.  Cisterns are containers for storing water such as rainwater, runoff water - impure (with dust, dirt, and debris) - unmoving and stagnant.
We forsake the pure living water when we wander away from the undiluted truth of God's Word. There are many ways that we "dig our own cisterns"; following after man's ways and not God's ways,  holding to the traditions of men, teaching false doctrine, worshiping God in pagan ways, allowing pagan traditions to infiltrate our worship.

Leviticus 10:10
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Again, something that church and denomination leaders are charged with, to teach the people the difference between the spiritual and the worldly.  When people are not taught the difference, the church will devolve into the apostate church and eventually will devolve into the false church during the last days.

How is it with us as believers in Jesus? Do we know the difference between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean? God tells us in Leviticus 10 "I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored."

Do we honor Him in the way we worship? Do we treat Him as holy? Is our attitude of worship pleasing to Him? Do we honor Him in the way we dress, the way we talk, the way we act?

There is an important thing to remember when reading about the dimensions of the tabernacle and converting them to today's standard of measurement.  There were three measurements for the cubit; the common cubit measured 18 inches, the holy cubit measured 21 inches and the sacred cubit measured 25 inches. One could logically conclude that the measurements within the most sacred places would be the sacred cubit.  This information makes much of the tabernacle dimensions a bit larger.

The priest's ephod and breastpiece are described in Exodus 39.  Each precious stone represents one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  There is much speculation as to which tribe had which stone.

A timeframe is established in the reading in Exodus 40.  "So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year".   They have now been away from Egypt for one year and it is time to once again celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover).

Moses did everything as the Lord commanded.

This phrase is repeated several times in today's reading. Can others say this about us? Do we as Believers do everything as the Lord commanded?

And so Moses finished the work.
Again, can this be said about us as Believers? Do we finish the work that the Lord has given us to do?

And look what happened next. The Lord was so pleased with the work.
“…and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

Can there be a more spectacular proclamation? Maybe so. Read the following.

Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

As the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so we should allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine a group of people so filled with the Holy Spirit that the place where they are meeting is shaken. Kind of gives a person goosebumps doesn’t it?

God gives through Moses the first stewardship “sermon”. God commands that everyone who is WILLING is to bring an offering to the Lord. So everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him gave to the Lord. These are free will offerings and are different from the tithe which comes later.

Then Moses summoned every skilled worker (with God-given abilities) and who was WILLING to come and do the work.  These abilities could be compared to our God-given spiritual gifts.  At the moment of acceptance of Jesus as personal Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit empowers that person with at least one spiritual gift.  And just as God was looking for willing workers to work at the tabernacle then, He is looking for willing workers to use those spiritual gifts now. If you would like a copy of the inventory to discover what your spiritual gifts are, email us.

As you read about the intricate details of the furnishings in the tabernacle, take notice.  This handcrafted work could be done only if the people had been given the ability by God.  (Rose Publishing Company has an excellent color brochure of the tabernacle and its furnishings. http://www.rose-publishing.com/Tabernacle-pamphlet-P150.aspx#.Vm3MkEorLmc)

The value of the materials used in the tabernacle was almost unfathomable.  The gold weighed a little over a ton and the silver weighed a little over 3 3/4 tons.  In today's money that would be about $40 million for the gold and nearly $3 million for the silver (If I'm reading the price per ounce correctly and multiplying correctly.)  At any rate, that's a lot of precious metals that were donated to the tabernacle!

The people were bringing offerings above and beyond what was needed, so much so that the people had to be restrained from bringing more. This happened because their hearts were moved and they gave for all the right reasons.
(Email us for a copy of The Biblical View of Stewardship)

Notice the attention to even the most minute detail, such careful attention to accuracy in the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. Can you even begin to imagine the beauty?

All this is just a foretaste of the heavenly beauty that awaits us in eternity.  Here are just a few of the things we can expect in eternity.

The New Jerusalem – A New Heaven and a New Earth

Imagine this!  The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is our eternal home, the new heaven and the new earth.

The Holy City will sit on a great high mountain, shinning brilliantly with the glory of God as it towers above us.  We will gaze in awe at this majesty. The high, thick wall will be made of jasper and it will sit on twelve foundations.  The foundations will be decorated with every kind of precious stone in every color and hue imaginable, a full spectrum of color gleaming from the jewels, like a magnificent rainbow.  The city will have twelve gates each made of a single pearl with twelve angels at the gates; all of the gates open all the time. 

Gold will be abundant in the New Jerusalem. The streets of the city will be pure gold like transparent glass, so pure that light will pass through it and be reflected by it. 

A river, clear as crystal, of sparkling beauty and clarity, the purest water ever, the water of life will stream through the city. It will begin at the throne of God and will flow forever through the streets of the Holy City. On each side of the river will be the tree of life that will bear fruit each month. 

No temple will be there.  God the Father and God the Son will be the temple. There will be no sun or moon because the glory of God will be the light.  God, the Father, surrounded by unapproachable light, will be on this throne in the middle of the New Jerusalem. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s book of life will enter there.  We as believers will enter there because we have His name written on our foreheads.  This unapproachable light will then be approachable because we will be able to see His face and we will worship, praise and serve Him through eternity as we take up residence in the new heaven. What a glorious day that will be!